It’s the holiday season. Consumers know this by the store shelves lined with pumpkins giving way to aisles of turkeys statues and inflatable Santa Clauses.

Every year the true meaning of the holidays risk being lost in the spirit of commercial retail. It may be good for business, but what good it does for the holiday’s preservation is potentially devastating.

Día de los Muertos — also known as the Day of the Dead — faces the same commercialism dilemmas as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas and other mainstream holidays.

Day of the Dead is a two-day observance celebrated Nov. 1 and 2 to remember and honor those who have passed away. Remembering the loved ones who have died ensures they live on forever.

When Voces Castellanas began their annual Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life event in Shreveport five years ago, organizers said it was difficult finding merchandise representing the holiday. But in the past two to three years, they've been able to find more items in retail stores and online.

"A lot of it has spread worldwide and become a very popular," said Janine Demerath, member. "You see T-shirts and they see how artistic the calaveras, sugar skulls are. You see clothing with sugar skulls. The American culture has embraced all that, but they don’t really know what it’s all about sometimes."

The Mexican observance has existed for thousands of years, dating back to the days of the Aztec.

In the past two or three years those who observe Día de los Muertos have noticed an increase of merchandise in chain retail stores in the United States, creating the risk of it becoming just another day of decorations and costumes.

As popularity continues, it will take educating the masses to ensure the holiday's true purpose doesn't slip away.

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A painting by Lee Spruell of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Day of the Dead celebration in Shreveport’s Columbia Park.(Photo11: Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times)

Respect the dead

A major part of Day of the Dead is the making of the ofrenda — or altar. Items are handmade or purchased and put on the altar along with personal belongings of the deceased.

"On the altar you can put the clothes, a picture of the person and all the elements that are important to that person — like if they had a favorite drink or favorite food," Demerath said.

Candles, flowers, artistic skeletons — or calacas — and calaveras — or skulls — are added to the altars.

Demerath, a Southfield Middle School Spanish teacher, is from Ecuador where All Saints Day is celebrated. It wasn’t until she came to the U.S. years ago that she learned about Day of the Dead from friends from Mexico.

"In Ecuador we honor our ancestors — we bring flowers to the cemetery and we go to church afterwards, but we don’t do any of the other celebrations like build altars or decorate sugar skulls," she said. "Here in United States, I learned through research because I found it so interesting."

Lee Spruell, also a member of Voces Castellanas, has taught English as a Second Language to children in schools in the region for 43 years. He identifies as white and was born and raised in Shreveport, but has studied and been involved in Latino culture since childhood.

For more than 40 years, he has frequently visited Mexico and has celebrated Día de los Muertos in Mexico, Central America and the U.S.

The way the Day of the Dead is making its way into American culture, Spruell said, is the same way American culture is seeping into Mexico, which happened when commercial merchandise began to make its way into the country. It raised concerns about the loss of traditions there, too, he said.

"Because of Mexico's close proximity of the United States, many of the traditions of Mexico were being usurped by the kids because of Halloween — because Halloween comes the day before — they were having Halloween parties and trick or treating," Spruell said.

But instead of losing traditions all together, he's witnessed children and families celebrate multiple holidays from different cultures.

Day of the Dead is a holiday, Spruell and other members of Voce Castellanas say, ethnic, cultural or religious background doesn't matter. What matters is honoring loved ones who have died.

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Some celebrants, such as Alan and Erin Berry seen here, go all out for the Day of the Dead celebration. .(Photo11: Special to The Times)

Halloween vs. Day of the Dead

A common battle of the culture is clearing up misconceptions. Halloween is not the same as Day of the Dead.

In fact, it’s far from it.

"To young people it has become very commercial," Demerath said. "In one way, I like that and I think its great people have been exposed to that, but in another way they connect it to Halloween. They think it’s another costume for Halloween,"

It's easy to associate the two holidays since they share the same time of the year. Halloween is Oct. 31 and Día de los Muertos is Nov. 1 – when children are honored — and Nov. 2 — when adults are included in the tribute.

That’s because the October and November months have traditionally been a time of harvest and some believe the time when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinnest allowing souls to visit the earth.

But that's about where the comparison ends.

“Halloween is a recognition of souls but in the old, pagan sense," McElwee said. "Day of the Dead is remembrance and not about being spooky."

Although both Halloween and Day if the Dead are associated with skulls, they are very much different from one another. Wherein Halloween is known for the frightening skulls, the calaveras are often artistically decorated in bright colors and smiling faces.

"A lot of the skulls are decorated so the kids don’t fear the dead," Demerath said. "It’s to make it more accepting of the dead. That’s why the skeletons are not scary. It’s supposed to be more colorful and playful."

The skeletons of Día de los Muertos are often dressed and posed doing tasks to reflect life on earth because it’s the continuation of life in another form.

"We live and then we die, it’s another cycle of who we were," she said.

To make sure Day of the Dead isn't confused with Halloween in Shreveport, Voces Castellanas is hosting their Day of the Dead celebration Nov. 7 — the weekend after the official holiday. It's an all ages event to teach the traditions of the holidays, such as how to make altars, color sugar skulls and play games, as well as march in the Día de los Muertos puppet parade.

On the following day, McElwee and local artist Rachel Stuart-Haas will host a Day of the Dead event on Nov. 8.

"It has become more popular, but I think it’s because of the imagery in it," McElwee said. "People have become drawn to it no matter what their background or race is and it’s cool. It’s cool kids want to learn about cultures besides their own.”

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Folk art pillows from Lee Spruell’s home depict Day of the Dead art.(Photo11: Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times)

Consuming a culture

Retailers selling merchandise is bringing more of an awareness of the holiday. But when selling or consuming items it's important to make sure it is understood and respected.

An issue with Day of the Dead becoming a commercial holiday is ensuring what is produced in countries outside of Mexico is accurate in traditional detail.

“It’s just in the past couple of years that I’ve really seen Día de los Muertos art at places like Michael's and more chain places," said Conchita Iglesias McElwee, a Mexican-American artist. "I haven’t seen anything yet that’s offensive, and hopefully it will stays that way where things are still made to look like the traditional art work, but I think that all holidays are taken advantage of.”

But in some stores Day of the Dead merchandise is categorized with Halloween — like the calavera magnet Spruell found in a with a tag labeling it as a “Halloween magnet."

Around this time of the year, the problem usually arises when costumes come into play for Halloween. McElwee said people have called her for feedback about the appropriateness of a Día de los Muertos costume.

"As long as it’s done respectfully I don’t have an issue with it," McElwee said. "But respectfully means you’re properly attired from head to toe

But it’s not completely frowned upon — if you do it right and for the right reasons."

Local artist Susan Fortenberry makes Day of the Dead jewelry to sell in her business Bayou Rain Creations. Before moving forward with creating bracelets and necklaces with the sugar skull images, she said she was sure to do her research since she isn't from the Mexican culture.

“I researched and looked it up because you can’t represent something you don’t know about just because you think it looks cool,” Fortenberry said.

When customers see the merchandise without knowing what the skulls represent, she said some people become withdrawn. She takes the opportunity to share her knowledge with customers to explain what it means, she said, because without understanding people may think the skulls represent something bad.

“People are more aware of it and becoming more educated about the subject, just like me," Fortenberry said. "It wasn’t on my radar until four or five years ago. And now I’m telling people about it and they’re telling people about it and places like Wal-mart are selling it now.”

Spruell has an extensive collection of statues, paintings and other artistic work from the cultural holiday in his home he's purchased or had gifted to him -- some coming from retailers and some authentically made in Mexico.

He also designs and creates of the skulls, skeletons and puppetry that will be paraded at the Day of the Dead Festival in Columbia Park.

Although the holiday is a time of reflecting on those who have died, it is also a time for remembering on the good of the person and having fun celebrating their life.

By hosting the public Día de los Muertos event, Voces Castellanas' mission is to share the culture and the true meaning of the holiday-- to remember and honor the deceased.

"I fell in love with the whole tradition because to me it seemed so special to remember your ancestors in a way that’s not sad anymore," Demerath said. "You want to relieve their life and on the altar put their favorite color and perfumes — it kind of brings them back even if they aren’t physically back."